United Fan Lindegaard: I'm Not Here To Pick My Nose

If Anders Lindegaard can impress on the pitch as much as he is doing off it, we’re looking at our next long term number 1.

The 26-year-old Dane has to the Evening News about his aspirations at the club he grew up supporting, claiming he isn’t here just to warm the bench and pick up his pay cheque.

“It is very important always to remember why you play football,” he said. “Why do I play football? It is because I find it amazingly amusing and fun. I really enjoy it and I am not playing football because I think it is scary. I am not scared about the future. I don’t get scared about playing a match, I look forward to it. That is the way it should be and I look forward to the Old Trafford challenge. I want to be the best. I want to be first choice here. I am not here because I want to be on the bench. My father taught me to support Manchester United and it has been my dream since I was four to represent this club weekend after weekend in goal. I am not here just to be here. I am not here to sit and pick my nose and earn my money. That is not why I am here. I am here because I want to be the best. This is the place where you can be the best and be respected as the best.”

This is Edwin Van der Sar’s last season with the club, meaning you would presume he would remain as our first choice for the rest of the season, but whilst Anders anticipates this to be the case, he doesn’t seem to necessarily think it’s a foregone conclusion.

“I am not thinking about Edwin’s situation,” he continued. “I only focus on things I can do something about and that is me. I am completely ignoring all the speculation and talk about other goalkeepers and that I am here just as a number two. I cannot do anything about that so I don’t think about that. It won’t help me to be thinking about what if this and what if that. I cannot do anything about it. That would ruin my focus. Being number one at United is a goal far out on the horizon. It is not something I think about when I go to sleep at night. The only thing I think about then is tomorrow’s training. But it is always there on the horizon that reminds you of where you want to go and what you want to be.”